Healthy teeth are important for all of us, but they can be especially important for your child’s overall health. They help your child eat and talk. Laying down the foundation of healthy oral care can give your child good dental habits as they grow older. But on the other hand, poor oral healthcare will lead to infection, disease and other types of teeth problems.
You can help make dental hygiene more fun for your child by following the tips below:
- You can let your child choose their own toothbrush to make things more fun. They can pick one that is their favourite colour or one that has their favourite television character on it.
- You can also have your child pick their own toothpaste and go with their favourite flavour.
- You can introduce your child to books or videos that talk about dental care and oral hygiene.
- Make sure you use a timer to make sure that your children brush their teeth for two minutes. Or, to make things more fun you can play their favourite 2-minute song.
- Give your children rewards for completing good oral care. You shouldn’t give them food or sugary candy, instead, try giving them something healthy like apple slices, or you can give them a gold star.
- You should plan a fun activity on the same day as your dental visits so that your child will look forward to going to the dentist.
In addition, fluoride is an important part of keeping your child’s teeth healthy. Fluoride helps reduce cavities in baby teeth and adult teeth. It also helps make your teeth stronger by strengthening and hardening the tooth’s enamel. Many children can get fluoride from their drinking water since many cities require it to be added to tap water. Water filters do not remove fluoride and are okay for regular use. But, you should not use water filters that use reverse osmosis.
If you don’t have water that contains fluoride then your child could need to take an oral fluoride supplement. Be sure to ask your doctor if your child needs this. Once your child begins to visit the dentist, they can get a fluoride varnish or cleaning.
On the other hand, having too much fluoride can cause tooth staining and it can also cause harm to your child’s health. Make sure that your child does not swallow the fluoride toothpaste or mouthwash.
Dental hygiene should start when your child is a baby. You should use a soft child toothbrush when they are 1 or 2. Then, brush your child’s teeth with water at least twice per day. It’s good to also brush their teeth after every feeding. You can also use a tiny dab of toothpaste that doesn’t contain fluoride. This toothpaste will be safe for your child to ingest. But you should still only use a small amount. You can help teach your child to spread the toothpaste on their teeth, gums and tongue. Make sure you ask your dentist or doctor the proper way to brush your child’s teeth.
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